A Penny For Your Thoughts
by Rachel4
Summary: After getting into another trouble Marguerite has got a gift to listen to others' thoughts, but does she really wants to have it? *Sorry for bad grammar*


Author Note: Thanks to all my beta readers! Sorry for terrible grammar ;) I still working on it.   
Have fun! ~~  
  
By Nadin  
  
The day was terribly hot. The group always experienced the days like that before the thunderstorm, but that moment the sky was absolutely clear and the thought about the thunderstorm seemed to be unreal.  
The group tried to survive in this terrible heat, and Marguerite was the one who decided that it would be easier to do in the cold water of the pond.  
- Marguerite, are you going to spend there the rest of the day? - Asked Lord John Roxton while miss Krux was taking a bath.  
- As I remember, no one called you to come with me. - She reminded him. - And to stay here is much better than to be in the treehouse. And, the best of all, if I dive I can't here your complaints.   
- Next time I'll let you go alone and be eaten by caimans.   
- You'll be surprised by who would be eaten.  
- I don't doubt.  
Marguerite smiled. He was sitting with his back to the pond as she ordered and every time he told anything he had to turn his head a bit.  
- Oh, what a wonderful idea came to my mind! - He exclaimed suddenly.  
- What? You decided to keep silence and do not get on my nerves? Really wonderful idea!  
He turned and narrowed his eyes at her. A sly grin played on his face.   
- No, I decided that I should take a bath with you. Do you mind my company?  
Marguerite couldn't say if he was joking or not.  
- Don't you even dare... - she started.  
- Why? You do not owe this pond!  
- If you...  
- If you're not out in five minutes, I'll help you to leave. - He promised.  
She sighed deeply. How could he be so rude with the lady?   
She took a towel hang on the bush and went slowly out of the water. Happily, he turned away. Sometimes Marguerite doubted that Roxton was brought up in the upper-class family - his manners left much to be desired.  
But suddenly her foot stepped on a slippery stone; she lost her balance and fell into the water. The last thing that she remembered was his worrying face and his voice screaming out her name.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
- How is she? - Roxton leant forward to Marguerite lying in her bed.  
- She'll be fine in a couple of hours, - Summerlee checked her pulse and examined a bump on the back of her head.  
- She just needs some rest. - Challenger nodded. - How it happened?  
- She slipped on a stone, or something like that, - Roxton looked again at her pale face. - I'm not sure. I turned to her when she was in the water already.  
Malone sighed fanning himself with his journal.  
- I even envy her. - Veronica noticed. - I couldn't sleep for several nights already because of the terrible heat.  
- I'm sure, Marguerite will be very proud on this matter when she wakes up. - Malone agreed.  
- Yeah, she can sleep anywhere anytime and in any temperature. - She smiled sadly.   
Everybody laughed.  
- Are you sure she's fine? - Roxton asked for the tenth time.  
- Absolutely! - Summerlee assured him. - Now, gang, lets go and find what to do while Her Highness is having a rest!  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
"Who the hell beat my head so hard?" was the first question that came to Marguerite's mind when she came to her consciousness.   
She sat on her bed and looked around.  
There were some nice things to notice. First, the bouquet of very nice light-blue flowers was placed on her night table. And second, it was much cooler than the last time she remembered.  
"Either I died, or God had heard my prayers", she concluded. "Oh, I'm terribly hungry. Where's my waiter?"  
Marguerite stood up carefully - dizziness didn't leave her, but now, in several minutes, she felt much better. Everybody thought she was still sleeping so she had to serve herself.   
Veronica was watering the flowers that Challenger and Summerlee found in the jungles. It turned out to be wild blue orchids. Challenger was sitting in his lab and making an experiment with a new insect that looked awful, but its poison could be a good medicine. Malone also sat in the living room and wrote something in his journal. The third one, Marguerite thought. By the time they got back to London he would have completed the encyclopedia. But Roxton wasn't seen.   
"Oh, they look much better now", Marguerite heard Veronica's voice in her head. "I was afraid they would die because of changing the soil".   
- Oh, Marguerite, - Veronica lifted her eyes up at the heiress that started at her with wide opened mouth. - How are you?   
- Oh, yes... fine... and you? - Marguerite couldn't find words.  
- Better than you were a couple of hours ago. - Veronica smiled. - What? Is something wrong?  
- Why?  
- You stare at me as if you see the ghost. - She smirked.   
"May be I should call Roxton?" she thought.  
- I'm fine. - Marguerite smiled at the girl.  
"Oh... my... God..." Marguerite thought. "I could hear what she thinks about! But... it's impossible!"  
She turned her head and looked at Malone.   
"What else had happened that day?" She heard. "Oh, how could I forgot?! I taught Veronica how to shoot and she almost killed me. Nice thing to remember!"  
He smiled at himself and started writing again.  
Marguerite rushed to the lab.  
"If we mix oxygen with the poison of that spider," he thought, "we'll get the antidote for it's bit, and may be some other poisoned plants".   
A devilish smile appeared on Marguerite's face. Who said that the dreams didn't come true? Now she could know everybody's feelings and thoughts and it seemed to be a big fun!   
- Well, well, well, - Roxton's voice came from behind. - You feel so good that you even can run along the treehouse?  
Marguerite turned to him and smiled at him a bit. Here was the man whose thoughts were the most interesting and important for her. But... she couldn't hear anything!  
- Thank you, Lord Roxton, I feel much better. - Only then she noticed a carcass of a boar in his left hand and a rifle in the right one - he must have just came from his daily hunting. - I see we'll have a wonderful dinner!  
- Only if you stay in your room while Veronica or Summerlee will cook it. - He replied sarcastically.   
Marguerite sniffed. Anyway she didn't like to stay in the kitchen for a long time and to hear to the complaints about the potatoes that had to be softer and the meat that was not so tough.   
- You doubt if I can cook well? - She asked approaching his face that their faces were in a couple of inches from each other.  
- You need to have a rest. The bump on the back of your head is bigger than my fist. - He reminded. - And our stomachs would prefer to eat... eatable food.   
- Nice as always! - She mumbled to herself.   
Challenger lifter his head from the papers with formulas. The flirting scenes between Marguerite and Roxton were constant and never stopped so nobody paid attention to them now.  
- John, if Marguerite want to cook why shouldn't you let her? - He shrugged his shoulders.   
He lifted his eyebrows at professor, but didn't say anything. Was everybody mad that day? First was Malone, who suggested Veronica his help in cleaning the treehouse in the morning, then Veronica didn't refuse to take care of Marguerite and now Challenger wasn't against her cooking though every time when Marguerite suggested her help in the kitchen everybody said in a choir that everything was ready and no help was needed.   
Well, may be it was just the weather that made everybody kinder. Or may be they just had nothing to do because it rained cats and dogs for the second day already.   
  
~ * ~ * ~  
In the evening Marguerite had a lot fun listening to Veronica's and Malone's thoughts about their feelings to each other. They both were like two teenagers that didn't dare even look at each other and had a lot of doubts about if they should admit their feelings.   
The dinner that Veronica prepared was delicious. During the process of cooking Marguerite was given a cup of tea with herbs and sent to her room to have a rest. Roxton came to her place several times to check if she was okay, but as his thoughts were easily readable they were not interesting.   
When he came to Marguerite for the third time she was reading one of Malone's journals that the young man considered to be carefully hidden.   
Roxton rolled his eyes and thought:  
"Once he was ready to kill her for reading his diary. I can imagine how angry he would be if he knew that she stole it again."  
Marguerite cursed quietly. Couldn't he think about more essential things? About her, for example!  
- The dinner is ready in twenty minutes. - He informed her. - Want more tea?  
- No, thank you, - she smiled. - I'll wait till the dinner.   
- Fine, - he turned to leave. "I need to ask Challenger to make more gunpowder. We have about 3 pounds and it is not enough for the next week".  
When the door closed after him Marguerite shut the journal angrily and threw it onto the chair. She crossed the hands on her chest. What could make Roxton think about anything but daily problems?   
After the dinner during which she knew nothing new Marguerite went onto the balcony to have some fresh air. It was cool and wet and the rain was still pouring though not so heavily as in the morning. Dark clouds were so low that it seemed that she needed just to lift her hand and touch them.   
  
~ * ~ * ~  
Marguerite sat on her bed abruptly. She was breathing heavily; her heart was beating so fast as if it was going to jump out of her chest. She woke up in the middle of the night because of hearing... a scream. Roxton's scream. But everything was quite in the treehouse.  
"Just a dream", she shook her head. "Just a nightmare. If Roxton really cried everybody would wake up".  
- Oh, no!  
The thought that came to her mind made Marguerite jump from her bed and run to Roxton's room.  
He had a nightmare. His head was turning from side to side and several drops of sweat glittered on his forehead.   
Marguerite closed her eyes for a second and saw it... The scene of killing William, second after second, again and again. She saw a pain on Roxton's face, tears in his eyes...  
- John, - Marguerite sat on the edge of his bed and touched his shoulder. - John, wake up.  
He sat abruptly on his bed as she did several minutes ago.  
- Marguerite? What...?   
- You had a nightmare, - she touched his face gently with her hand. - But now everything's fine.  
He looked at her, sitting quietly next to him, smiling at him encouragingly.  
- This dream comes to me from time to time. - He told. - I can see his face, his eyes...  
He didn't finish, just dropped his head on his hands. Memories swept through his mind, the worst memories of his entire life, of several lives.   
- I'm sorry, John, - Marguerite whispered. - I'm so sorry... But everything's okay now. I'm with you.  
Then she leant forward and hugged him. He hugged her in return and pressed her to his chest listening to her heart's beating. Marguerite slipped her hands around his waist and buried her face into his neck.   
- Thank you, Marguerite.  
- For what? - She smiled a bit nervously.  
- For coming and taking me out of this nightmare.   
- Well, I'll send you my bill as soon as we get back to London. - And pulled away. - You'd better have some rest. Who knows what Challenger will make us do tomorrow?  
He smiled at her. Whatever one would say Marguerite wasn't as indifferent as she wanted everybody to think. Tender and frightened heart has hidden behind the mask of selfishness and stubbornness.   
Marguerite yawned.  
- Stay with me, Marguerite, - he pleaded. - I promise I won't even touch you.  
- You already did, - she smirked meaning their tender hug. - But I think I'm too tired to go to my own room...  
She put her head on his shoulder listening to his heart beating. In several minutes she was far asleep.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
During the next several days Marguerite had a lot of fun listening to other's thoughts. She finally found out that Veronica was afraid of snakes, though she had never told about it, and that Malone was up to the ears in love with 'Miss Jungle'. He even stopped writing when saw her, and caught every chance to help her.  
Challenger was boring as always working with some type of worms that looked ugly and reminded Marguerite her first husband's mother. Though she had to admit that the worms were not so talkative.   
Once in the morning she came up to the kitchen where Roxton was sitting and reading the book.  
- Good morning, - she smiled at him.  
Since the night when she stayed in his room their relationship became a bit tenser than always but both did all their best not to show it.   
- Nice to see you being up so early, - he lifted his eyes at her face.   
"Oh, it would be very nice if Marguerite cooked toasts and eggs for me. With hot coffee", she heard somewhere in her mind.  
- Oh, didn't Veronica feed you? - Marguerite frowned, and then smiled again. - What do you think about eggs and toasts with coffee?  
- Miss Krux, you're reading my thoughts! - He exclaimed and laughed. - I would like to!  
Marguerite started cooking the breakfast. She started realizing that her ability is the greatest gift, but it didn't change a lot between Roxton and her, as she hoped to.   
- Well, John, we're living together for almost three years already, and I would be surprised if I couldn't guess what do you want for breakfast, - she noticed nervously. "If only you could know HOW I know about it!"  
"As if she were my wife", he thought. "I would love her till the end of my life, and even longer."  
Marguerite dropped the egg that she was holding, and rushed in search of the cloth to clean the mess.  
Roxton knelt next to her.  
- I'm sorry, - she mumbled. - I'm so clumsy... I should... I should have watched what I do...  
- It's okay, Marguerite, - Roxton caught her hand. - It is just an egg; it is not the world catastrophe.   
They were sitting on the floor and looking at each other, and then suddenly burst in laugh.   
- Veronica always says that I can't do anything well, - Marguerite told.  
- I bet she's wrong. - He replied. - Come on, get up.  
He helped her to rise.   
- Don't worry, your breakfast will be ready in several minutes, - she assured him.  
- I can wait for long... - " to look at you".  
- What's going on here? - Malone and Veronica stepped into the kitchen. - You two started fighting?   
Roxton laughed.  
- No, we just wanted to have some fun. - Marguerite answered.  
- Oh, yeah, - Veronica nodded suspiciously. - And throwing with eggs is very funny.   
- Don't worry, - Malone noticed. - They start with eggs and finish with stones.   
Marguerite smiled.   
- Call us next time, - Veronica asked. - We would like to share playing with you.  
And they left Marguerite and Roxton laughing. "A kindergarten", Veronica thought. "Hm, nice way to pass time", Malone admitted.  
- They are too serious, - Marguerite noticed.  
- I don't want even think of what they could think about us. - Replied Roxton, still smiling.   
Marguerite cooked everything quickly, and even poured a cup of coffee for herself.   
"She's so beautiful," Roxton thought looking at her over the table. "I wish we could have a chance. I would be the happiest man in the world if I could spend every day, every minute with her. If I could wakeup in the morning and see her by my side..."  
Marguerite dropped her glance. A slight smile appeared on her face, and she felt butterflies in her soul. A warm feeling filled her body...  
But Challenger entered the kitchen to have a glass of water. Roxton stopped thinking about Marguerite and turned to Challenger to ask how his research was going.   
Marguerite crossed her hands on the chest and sighed. Yes, she was happy to live with all these people who became her real family, but could they leave Roxton alone with her for some time?!   
  
~ * ~ * ~  
- Marguerite! - Summerlee called. - I know that packing things is a very good thing, but we don't have the whole day for it.   
- Miss Krux! - Roxton looked upstairs at the door of Marguerite's room. - If you are not here in two minutes we will leave without you. And you will have stay here to clean up the treehouse and to cook the dinner for us all. Alone!  
Last word made the best effect. What could be worse than working as a servant? For Marguerite - nothing.  
- I'm coming, - she appeared putting on her hat and buttoning the hostel on her waist. - You don't have to shout on the whole treehouse.   
- You are the first who wants to escape from this plateau, - Veronica smirked. - But when we go in search of the way out you're the last to leave.   
- It is because every time I hope to find the way out and prepare everything for leaving. - Marguerite parried.   
Challenger hemmed.  
- May be if you don't spare so much time for packing you would find the way out earlier.  
Roxton laughed shortly.  
"Great!" Marguerite thought, "everybody in this place is against me!"  
She was the first to jump into the elevator.   
The group walked over the jungle aimlessly, as Marguerite thought. She was so upset that she even didn't want to listen to their thoughts. Anyway, for the last week she had learnt enough about their wishes, hopes and expectations.   
And even Roxton's feelings were quite clear, though his words were always opposite to them. If he thought that Marguerite's eyes were the most beautiful, he always said that she couldn't do even the simplest job by herself. Or he considered her to be mysterious and wanted to know more about her past but always said that he didn't care.   
- Are we going somewhere or just having a walk? - Marguerite wondered finally.   
- Are you tired? - Roxton lifted his eyebrows at her.  
She put her hands on the hips:  
- No, Lord Roxton! I get a real pleasure from roaming along the damn jungles on the godforsaken plateau inhabitant with ugly prehistoric creatures that are hungry 24/7! Any questions?  
- I knew you like traveling! - Roxton teased her.  
She looking at him with a killing gaze, and went further. Anyway, there was no sense to continue conversation. As nice Roxton could be when they are alone, as unbearable he was with others.   
- Miss Krux made her choice two years ago, - Roxton whispered to Summerlee. - And now it is all our fault when she feels bad.  
Arthur smirked. Even teenagers behaved better than these two adult persons.   
Marguerite kicked the stone lying on the road, but she didn't take in account that it was too big, so she hurt her foot badly.  
- Damn it! - She exclaimed, and added some more words, that the lady shouldn't say.  
Roxton rushed to her:  
- Are you okay, Marguerite?  
She pushed his hand away.  
- Is it day of stupid questions today?! - She asked irritatingly.   
Veronica examined Marguerite's leg, while miss Krux tried not to cry out for pain.  
- I'm sorry, Marguerite, - Veronica concluded, - but for you the trip is over. You need to get back to the treehouse and to put... something cold on your feet.   
- Great! - Dark-haired woman mumbled. - The day had to be stupid from the beginning.   
- Roxton... - Veronica turned back to the hunter standing in several steps from them.   
He sighed deeply.  
- I'll be glad to see miss Krux off home and to help her.   
- Worse and worse with each minute... - Marguerite mumbled but she had to admit that she couldn't walk herself.   
Challenger and Summerlee sighed. They both hoped that those two wouldn't kill each other. At least Marguerite could try not to get on John's nerves, and may be he wouldn't leave her alone somewhere far from the treehouse.  
John came up to Marguerite and without saying anything lifted her into his arms.   
- I can go myself! - She shouted. - Put me down!  
- One more sound - and you WILL go yourself! - His voice was hard.  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
Back in the treehouse Roxton did all his best with Marguerite's foot, cleaned everything and cooked the dinner for them both. The others seemed not to be back until next afternoon so they could have some time together.  
Marguerite was looking into the window when she heard Roxton's thoughts. Oh, if only she could suspect that a lord like him could think about such things... Well, of course he could think, but she couldn't imagine that those thoughts could be about her!!!  
The more she listened to Roxton's thoughts, the more her faced flushed. Damn this gift!  
- John... - Marguerite called him to take away from thinking of...  
- Blanket? Tea? Book? - His head appeared in the doorway.   
She smiled. He was so sweet! When he wanted to be.  
- No... I... I just wanted to ask...  
- What?  
Roxton sat next to her on the sofa.   
- Your nightmares... about William... Did you have them again? - She whispered trying not to look into his eyes.   
She knew perfectly he did but she wanted to check if he trusted her enough to open his soul. Well, after the quarrel in the morning she couldn't ask for more but...  
- I have them often, - he tried to go away from the direct answer.   
"I made so many things in my life... bad things... But killing my brother was the worst. I've never realized it but the old man was right - with his death I cursed myself. I have no right to involve Marguerite into the fight in my soul. She worth more than I can give..."  
Marguerite covered his hand with her palm and looked softly into his eyes.   
- I know it may sound mad... - she smiled nervously, - but I understand you better than you think.   
She dropped her eyes for a moment, but then looked at him again. She could see a pain deep in his soul, a pain that was caused by misunderstanding and blame.   
- Listen, Marguerite...  
- No, John, you have to understand that it wasn't your fault. - Her voice was firm. - There was one chance in a million that it would happen, but it happened to you and you MUST face with it. As long as you blame yourself others will blame you either.   
- You don't understand...  
- Shut up, Roxton! - She interrupted him. - You have to forgive yourself. You can't change anything, you can't get William back to life. But I don't think he would want you to spoil your own life. A lot of people in THIS life value you, want you to feel good.  
He smiled ironically and shook his head. Roxton had too many doubts on this matter.   
- You'd better have some rest, Marguerite. - His soft voice showed that the conversation was over. - Let me help you.  
He leant forward to her.  
- Damn you, John! - She slipped her hands around his neck and pressed her lips to his.   
At the first moment Roxton couldn't understand what was going on, but a second later he hugged Marguerite tightly.   
- What was this? - He asked when they broke the kiss.  
- I just wanted you to know that there is one person is this world who cares about you, who wants you to feel good and live in real life... - She whispered looking into his eyes.   
- But... - He made an effort to pull away.   
- Shut up, Roxton...  
  
~ * ~ * ~  
A sunray fell onto Marguerite's check and made he open her eyes. She was still in her room but Roxton wasn't there with her. Where could he go so early?  
As a reply to her thoughts the door opened and Roxton appeared in the room with a tray with a breakfast on it.   
- Good morning, sleeping beauty! - He smiled at Marguerite seeing her sitting on the bed. - Had sweet dreams?  
He put the tray onto the night table and came up loser to her.  
- Yes, - she reached out her hands for him.  
Roxton kissed the top of her nose.  
- Really?   
- Hm, - she slipped her hands around his neck, - I dreamt that you were telling me how beautiful I am and how you love me... - She smiled teasingly. - And then, in the end of my dream, you told me that you want to spend the rest of your life with me...  
Roxton threw away the lock that fell onto her forehead and then took her hand into his palm and kissed it.   
- You know, princess, your dream was not so far from the reality. - He smiled. - I really told you numerous of times that you're the most beautiful woman in the universe and that I love you with all my heart. I'm not sure that we will live for long if we decide to live together, but at least we could try...   
Marguerite laughed softly. Every day, every minute of last two years she wished to hear those words, to feel herself safe and wanted, to realize that she wasn't alone any longer.   
But suddenly Marguerite understood that something had changed.  
- Think about something! - She ordered to him.   
- About what? - Roxton stared at her amazingly.  
- About... about London, for example!  
She was so exited that he had no choice but to obey.   
- And? - She asked in a minute. - Are you thinking of London?  
- I try, but mostly I think about what the hell is going on with you. - He hemmed.   
"Nothing", she thought. "Thanks God! I finally stopped listening to others' thoughts!"  
- So? - He demanded.  
- I'm free! - She hung on to his neck.  
He was amazed but just hugged her. As much as he tried to understand Marguerite he didn't reach any results and decided just to take her as she was.   
- I have no idea what are you talking about, Marguerite, but I really hope that it is treatable.   
Next moment they heard the elevator coming up and Challenger's exited voice in the living room. Malone behaved a bit calmly, but they all seemed to be celebrating something.   
- Roxton! Marguerite! - Veronica called. - Where are you?  
- I'll go there, - Roxton whispered. - Get dressed and join us.  
- As soon as I can. - She smiled.  
- I'll be waiting. - He kissed her slightly.   
When he entered the living room Malone was opening the bottle of the best wine of Veronica's father, Veronica looked for the glasses and Challenger and Summerlee gleaned with the crazy smiles.   
Roxton looked at all the party suspiciously. Either something serious had happened while he was taking care of Marguerite, or they all went mad.   
- Oh, John! - Challenger exclaimed. - Where is Marguerite?  
- What's going on? - He ignored the last question.  
- Wait for Marguerite! - Summerlee ordered.   
- She... - Roxton started but next moment Marguerite rushed into the room and stood next to him.   
- Here I am! - She smiled. - You can tell now! What happened?  
- We have found the way home! - Cried Malone, Challenger and Summerlee simultaneously.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
  
As soon as I finish the second part I'll post it here. Hope I'll have enough free time for it. 


End file.
